Cornerstones Project Lochwinnoch- AM reviewed 26 05 26
Renfrewshire Council · 26 May 2026
Back to Economy and Regeneration Policy Board — 26 May 2026 and its agenda
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Economy and Regeneration Policy Board On: 26 May 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Cornerstones Project Lochwinnoch ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The purpose of this report is to inform members about funding which has been secured to develop “Cornerstones: Revitalising Lochwinnoch’s Historic Axes” an area-based proposal which seeks to help regenerate the centre of Lochwinnoch by investing in its built heritage and promoting the history of the village. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: (i) Accepts the grant funding of £45,000 from Historic Environment Scotland’s Heritage and Place Programme and £45,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Grants scheme respectively. (ii) Authorises the Head of Economy and Development to appoint a temporary Heritage Project Officer to deliver the Development Phase and compile the Delivery Phase applications (iii) Authorises the Head of Economy and Development to develop detailed applications to National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Grants fund and Historic Environment Scotland’s Heritage and Place Programme for funding to deliver Cornerstones in full. _________________________________________________________
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PUBLIC 3. Background 3.1 Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) work in collaboration to provide funding support for area-based heritage projects via HES’s Heritage and Place Programme and NLHF’s Heritage Grants £250,000 to £10million fund. 3.2 HES and NLHF approved Expressions of Interest for Cornerstones in February 2025 and invited Renfrewshire Council to apply for Development Phase funding (which is the preparatory stage of the programme and its purpose is to develop a robust, deliverable heritage-led regeneration scheme before moving to full capital investment). 3.3 Officers subsequently undertook a community consultation, met with key stakeholders, and commissioned a draft Lochwinnoch Conservation Area Character Appraisal from architects Hamilton Hay Van Jonker. This informed Development Phase applications to HES and NLHF for Cornerstones. 3.4 In November 2025, HES advised officers that £45,000 had been provisionally awarded from their Heritage and Place Programme for the yearlong Development Phase of Cornerstones, conditional on Renfrewshire Council securing equivalent funding from NLHF. 3.5 In March 2026, NLHF confirmed an award of £45,000 for the Development Phase of Cornerstones from their Heritage Grants £250,000 to £10million fund; HES subsequently formalised their offer of grant. ___________________________________________________________________ 4. Proposal 4.1 The centre of Lochwinnoch was developed in the 18th Century as a planned expansion of the older village, organised around three primary axes. Cornerstones seeks to revitalise Lochwinnoch’s streetscape and economy by focusing investment within the Conservation Area where these axes meet (please see Appendix A). Repair grants would help preserve Lochwinnoch’s historic built environment; a parallel programme of community engagement activities would emphasise the value of the village’s heritage, raise awareness of its unique history, and develop local expertise around traditional building skills. 4.2 The core scheme area encompasses: the central section of the Main Street/High Street axis and its junction with the Calder Street/Church Street axis; the southeast section of the Calder Street/Church Street axis as far as the south corner of Harvey Square; and the southwest section of the Harvey Terrace/Gates Road axis which terminates with the Parish Church of Lochwinnoch on Church Street. Due to their prominence, two listed buildings, which each terminate one of the village’s primary axes, are also included in the scheme area: Auld Simon, and Calder United Free Church. In total, the area includes 1 x A Listed, 10 x B Listed, and 8 x C Listed buildings plus 18 shopfronts. 4.3 The draft repair and resilience capital plan proposes:
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PUBLIC • 1 x large scale building repair project • 7 x medium scale building repair projects • 4 x small scale building repair projects • 9 x shopfront improvements • 1 x improvement of public realm at Harvey Square 4.4 The Development Phase will enable further surveys and consultation with owners and tenants to take place and a more thorough assessment of priority projects within the scheme area to be made. 4.5 Cornerstones aims to empower people in Lochwinnoch to shape the place where they live and work. Establishing working partnerships locally, regionally and nationally will be key to the development of the proposal. With funding secured for the yearlong Development Phase, an Area Partnership (steering group) will be established with stakeholders to finalise an Area Action Plan. The Area Action Plan is the key document detailing how Cornerstones would be delivered over a five-year period and will underpin the Delivery Phase applications. ___________________________________________________________________ 5. Timetable 5.1 The Development Phase of Cornerstones is scheduled to start mid-August 2026 and conclude 12 months later with the submission of Delivery Phase applications to both funders. 5.2 If the Delivery Phase applications are successful, subject to board approval, it is anticipated that the full Cornerstones project will run for five years from July 2028. ___________________________________________________________________ 6. Budget 6.1. The total cost of the Development Phase is £115,000. This comprises £25,000 from Renfrewshire Council and £45,000 match funding from both HES and NLHF. The biggest single expenditure will be on staff costs for a dedicated, full-time Cornerstones officer; the remaining expenditure includes delivery of a small number of community engagement activities, a materials audit, and a traditional building skills audit. 6.2. The total cost of the Delivery Phase is estimated to be £2.4million. This comprises £850,000 of funding from NLHF, £750,000 from HES, £600,000 from Renfrewshire Council (subject to Board approval at a later date) and c. £200,000 from property owners. The majority of expenditure – c. £1.8million – will be on repair and resilience capital projects but there will also be meaningful expenditure on training and community engagement activities. As with the Development Phase, the Delivery Phase would be delivered by a dedicated, full-time Cornerstones officer.
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PUBLIC 6.3. Applications to both HES and NLHF are highly competitive and Development Phase funding does not guarantee Delivery Phase funding will be secured. ___________________________________________________________________ 7. Next steps 7.1 The Regeneration and Place Team will appoint a temporary Heritage Project Officer to deliver the Development Phase and prepare the Delivery Phase applications 7.2 Officers will liaise with stakeholders in preparation for the appointment of the Heritage Project Officer and the launch of the Cornerstones Development Phase. They will also hold inception meetings with HES and NLHF. 7.3 Updates on the Development Phase will be Progress on delivery of the Development Phase will be reported to the Board on a rolling basis. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – for the Development Phase, £25,000 will be allocated from the Council’s Regeneration and Place Team’s 2026/27 revenue budgets. External funding of £45,000 has been secured from HES and £45,000 has been secured from NLHF. Further funding of £600,000 from Renfrewshire Council for the Delivery Phase still needs to be identified and approved. This would be subject to a further Council decision at a later date. 2. HR & Organisational Development – support is required to recruit and appoint a temporary member of staff. 3. Community/Council Planning – • Our Renfrewshire is thriving – The project has the potential to support developments which will protect and enhance the built heritage of Lochwinnoch, contributing to the creation of a thriving village centre which support individuals, communities, and businesses. • Reshaping our place, our economy and our future – The project has the potential to help support the restoration of historic buildings in the centre of a Renfrewshire village, improving the built environment, helping to create job opportunities and contribute to economic growth.
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PUBLIC • Creating a sustainable Renfrewshire for all to enjoy - Repairing historic buildings mitigates climate change impacts and aligns with Renfrewshire Council’s Net Zero 2030 goals. • Working together to improve outcomes - The project aims to work in partnership with local, regional and national groups and organisations to achieve positive outcomes. 4. Legal – support will be required to draft an Area Partnership Agreement and with property searches. 5. Property/Assets – improvement of the public realm around the war memorial at Harvey Square, repairs to Lochwinnoch Library and repairs to Auld Simon are potential priority projects for Cornerstones. 6. Information Technology – the temporary Heritage Project Officer will require standard ICT hardware. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – risk assessments will be required to be undertaken for survey work and community events. 9. Procurement – CPU support will be required for any appointments over £25,000 10. Risk - None. 11. Privacy Impact – Not applicable 12. Climate Risk – With cognisance of Historic Environment Scotland’s ‘A Guide to Climate Change Impacts: On Scotland’s Historic Environment, Our Place in Time, 2019’, the potential repair and maintenance of older buildings in Lochwinnoch will contribute to the restoration and repair of Renfrewshire’s historic fabric. 13. Children’s Rights – Not applicable 14. Cosla Policy Position – Not applicable _______________________________________________________
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PUBLIC List of Background Papers (a) Cornerstones Project Lochwinnoch. Economy and Regeneration Board, 20 May 2025. ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Euan Shearer; Regeneration and Place Manager Email: euan.shearer@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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LEGEND CORNERSTONES AREA CONSERVATION AREA HISTORICAL AXIS LANDMARK GATEWAY A LISTED BUILDING B LISTED BUILDING C LISTED BUILDING N 0 100m